Japan Mobility Show 2025

In one respect, Tokyo follows the trend: most exhibitors are local. The Paris Motor Show is mainly French, the Internationale Auto Ausstellung is mainly German, and at the Japan Mobility Show, most of themore than 500 companies presenting are Japanese.

Toyota / Lexus

Toyota has by far the largest stand and also presents the most news. And since this is the "Japan Mobility Show", Toyota is bringing much more than just passenger cars. For instance, it is showing a series of wondrous one-seater vehicles, a one-seater drone, several vintage cars and a special truck. The "IMV Origin" is a truck designed and maintained as simply as possible for remote areas. Only the most complex parts are built in Japan; assembly takes place in Africa and elsewhere.

In Japan, dignitaries and industry leaders prefer to drive not European limousines, but the Toyota Century. That model can be admired here in two all-new variants. One looks classic, but has modern technology under the bonnet. The Century concept is built more vertically to compete with the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Lexus has been hinting at a new LS Coupé for some time and its latest version is on display in Tokyo. Lexus is also bringing more than just cars, as the booth also features a scale model of its own sailing ship.

Honda

At Honda, a trio of concept cars is attracting attention. All are in the so-called "0 series" and include a hatchback, coupé and SUV. In terms of style, they pick up where Honda left off with the "e". The models experiment with an artificially intelligent assistant that aims to get to know the driver to not only assist them while driving, but even offer psychological help when needed. All 0 models are, of course, electrically powered.

In addition, Honda is showing its first electric-powered kei-car: the N-One E. A kei-car is a minuscule car that enjoys tax benefits in Japan thanks to its reduced size. These custom-made cars are hardly ever exported. However, Honda wants to market the N-One E in the UK to make electric driving affordable here. Should that prove successful, Honda is considering developing a left-hand drive variant for the rest of Europe.

And Honda is also showing more than just cars. As in previous years, Honda is bringing its own aircraft: the Honda Jet. This time, Honda is even going a step further with its own sustainable rocket!

Mazda

Mazda is showing two concept cars. The X-Coupe Vision tickles the fancy with a new evolution of Mazda's "Kodo" design language. The X-Coupe is powered by a rotary engine combined with an electric motor. This makes it clear that the X-Coupe is primarily experimental.

The X-Compact Vision, on the other hand, is much more realistic. Its lines look more modern than those of the X-Coupe, but still give the impression of a production model. Given its dimensions, the X-Compact is a logical successor to the Mazda2. Mazda makes no statements about the powertrain and is mainly using the X-Compact as a testing ground for an AI system that aims to understand the driver's feelings. In this way, the car should also become a friend.

Suzuki

Suzuki is known as a manufacturer of much more than just cars, so it is no surprise that the manufacturer is also showing motorbikes and single-seater vehicles. At the centre of the stand is the "Vision e-Sky". This model is designed to be as simple as possible to keep the price as low as possible. The e-Sky has an electric range of 270 km and is said to hit the Japanese market before the end of 2026.

Mitsubishi

The Elevance is a futuristic-looking study model that Mitsubishi is using to experiment with its "Dynamic Shield" style. Against all trends, the Elevance is not an electric car, but a plug-in hybrid. However, this hybrid uses an alternative fuel instead of petrol. In doing so, the Elevance features an AI-controlled co-driver that provides travel advice and encourages adventure.

Nissan

Japan is a land of traditions and so the MPV has not yet been completely supplanted by the SUV. Nissan is therefore introducing the fourth generation of the large MPV: the Elgrand. The design is overtly derived from the "Hyper Tourer" concept car Nissan showed at the 2023 Mobility Show. The Elgrand is powered by the latest generation of Nissan's "e-4FORCE" powertrain. The Elgrand will not go on sale in Europe or America.

Daihatsu

Daihatsu withdrew from the European market many years ago, but is still alive and kicking in Japan. Daihatsu specialises in small cars and offers them in all forms, from mini trucks (see panoramic photo) to cool convertibles.

Daihatsu shows a prototype of the next Copen. Since this convertible is also a kei-car, this concept car bears the name K-Open. Since the Copen / K-Open will only be on sale in Japan, the exterior is tailored to Japanese tastes: modern, retro and cute at the same time. By popular demand, the new Copen gets rear rather than front-wheel drive, completing the traditional "roadster" experience.

BYD

BYD was the first Chinese brand to cross over into Japan. At the Mobility Show, BYD will unveil an electric-powered kei-car. Again, this is a car tailor-made for Japan: the Racco.

BYD has been active in Japan for some time with commercial vehicles, so it is also taking the T35 electric truck and the J7 / K8 electric-powered buses to Tokyo.

BMW

One of the few European brands to make an appearance in Tokyo is BMW. In Japan, hydrogen is still seen as a possible alternative to petrol and diesel, which is why BMW is showing several concept cars with fuel cells.

The crowd-pleaser, however, is the "Concept Speed Top". This study model is halfway between a coupé and a shooting-brake, on which BMW's latest style has been successfully applied.

Miscellaneous

The "Tokyo Motorshow" has been called the "Japan Mobility Show" since 2023 to appeal to a wider audience. Indeed, the show is meant to be a day out for the whole family. Technical universities present themselves to potential students in Tokyo, small companies showcase their unique vision of the future and Japan's own toy manufacturer "Tomica" is always good for a spectacular stand. This year, Tomica is showing more than just toy cars: it is also bringing the real cars on which the scale models are based.

Conclusion

As the name suggests, the Japan Mobility Show is a Japanese party. The new cars on show are almost all aimed at the Japanese market and will never be exported. Even Chinese manufacturers build unique models for the Japanese market. Just like at the Tokyo Motor Show of yesteryear, there are a lot of concept cars on display in Japan. However, even these are mainly harbingers of new models that will only go on sale in Japan.

So for foreign visitors, the Japan Mobility Show is of less importance. Real car enthusiasts, on the other hand, enjoy the exclusive models, bizarre concepts and quirky inventions that cannot be seen anywhere else. For Japanese visitors, on the contrary, the Mobility Show is a tailor-made day of fun.